Sisterhood

Have you ever awakened some days and you just knew things were different and out of place? You couldn’t put a specific finger on what it was, but your spirit was disturbed and there was an unsettling in your mind. As a matter of fact, you probably didn’t get much sleep the night before because your mind and spirit could not rest.

I’ve had those days recently. Probably more within the past 2 years in the loss of my husband and sister, than I can recall from times past. But I remember what my grandma and mother used to say when those days would come,

“Father I stretch my hands to thee, no other help I know

If thou withdraw thyself from me, where shall I go?”

The snipped above is from a gospel hymnal, Father I stretch my hands to thee, written by Charles Wesley in 1741. They never sang the whole song, but would just repeat the snippet above in prayer and crying out to God on many occasions. I never really understood until I was faced with days where I had nowhere to go and no one to turn to except God. It was on those days of abandonment that God brought to my remembrance seeing my mother and grandma on their knees praying to God with outstretched arms and fervency.

When I took the picture I used for this blog at a prayer breakfast, I didn’t realize at that time, that it would bring to my remembrance a time when prayer, faith and trust in God were the only things that got my family through difficult times.

What I know is that when we are in need of an encouraging word, a sincere hug and a gentle voice of support, we only need to look up, stretch out our hands and open our hearts to receive and hear what God is speaking to us.

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by Dawgelene 'Dr Dawj" Sangster- As the new year kicks into gear, many people have made resolutions to lose weight, save money, travel, go back to school and do other things. However, one group of women are starting a movment to be better wives in 2014 and beyond. Felicia Houston, founder and CEO of the Anointed Wives Ministry, recently held her 6th annual prayer breakfast to kick off the new year.

"I am passionate about marriages and women doing what we need to do and be for our husbands. Marriage Rocks!" says Mrs. Houston.

Many women packed St Xavier University on a recent Saturday morning to pray, eat and receive inspiration from dynamic speakers to include, Summer Alexander, Keyonda S. McQuarters, Debbi Boer Smits and Jamilla Thomas. They danced to the tunes of Zumba music by instructor, Lenora Henderson and even received the "laying on of hands" while traveling through a human "prayer tunnel".

"We are on a movement for 2014 to make a difference and we will be different," says Mrs. Houston.